Adventures in Volunteering (and other stuff)

Its 8:28 pm


Its dark outside,the house is quiet...Paladin is downstairs catching his breath from chasing his new laser pointer all over the house. He seems pretty happy the past two days after a rough night involving the window.  This morning was pretty cool as he hung out with me for over an hour curled up under a blanket purring away and making biscuits.
   Been a good week so far...I completed the first of 3 volunteer projects yesterday at my job.
What was originally was a team of six employees ended only being three and almost not even that as our store manager had to stay while 2 others simply never showed up. But it left us three heads and soon we were driving into Detroit. The ride was pretty quick as we chatted about business and various other items. When we left Canton,the sky was perfectly blue with a little chill to it but as we got closer to Detroit,we hit a fog bank that popped suddenly popped up...which led our driver to make a left turn on a one way street!


Lucky we had enough time to veer clear of becoming a headline new story and got safely back on the road.
10 minutes later we saw the project site,it was VFW Post 2233 and the crews from various stores were already working or just like us,just getting there and ready to work.


   We checked in,got a badge that showed we had worked on the project and headed for the landscape crew...well,almost for me. I got pulled aside and was asked to paint inside. Not a problem and I went inside to find a crew of 20 hard working fellow employees painting,scraping,cleaning,gathering fresh supplies and picking up trash.
  I got a roller and a wall and started painting. The mood was light,slightly chaotic but determined. The commanding staff of the Hall walked around smiling and thanking folks. The VFW,which means,Veterans of Foreign Wars,supports the men and women who served out of country during their service. Not everyone has fought an hostile action but many have stood post during the Cold War days with the Warsaw Pact,or in Japan and South Korea. They have served our country proudly and it was a honor to be able to give back in a small way.
  I spent a hour with the paint crew and painted a wall and a half with two other folks. It was pretty much like the Wayne project,paint what we can with the rollers and then have another person paint the hard to reach areas. It worked out great that way.
   Next,I helped clean up the coat room as it was being stripped and new wall base was being put in. The old was just beyond filthy with age and was had dead bugs all behind it. I stripped and trashed the old pieces while another man worked on removing the old baseboard. The room was small and we made quick work of it and then a paint crew started prepping it while I want back and painted a small hallway near an emergency exit door.
   My two co-workers came and got me so we could say hello to our district manager who was working on a landscape team. They were working to remove trees that were so old that they had grown into the chain link fence. They had removed two and were working on a third with the fourth one still one deck.
  We think we were the only crew from our district to show up and our DM thanked us for supporting the effort.
   Soon enough lunch came up and while we were being fed,the host store introduced us to the Post Commander who in turn introduced his staff and other leaders who had shown up to watch how the project would turn out. They thanked us and said how much our veterans hold our company up with respect because the service we do for them.
  Lunch was over and back at we went. My small team laid out a new Allure floor for women's bathroom,despite the fact we never had done one before!


We were making good progress when once again,the paint leader approached me for some support is laying new wall base down. Naturally I said yes and went with her...only to find that no one wanted to do such a tedious job and that entire activity room along with 3 other rooms needed it done. I had never laid wall base down myself but with the help of two other guys,we attacked it with gusto.
  40 minutes later and 20% percent done,one of my guys said we had to leave because he had to work a overnight at our home store. I said goodbye to my wall crew and grabbed my sweater and we left..the buzz was still strong and I saw some fresh people start showing up.
   The ride home went quickly and soon we were back at our store where I picked up the Rodger Young and headed to Target to get some cat treats and a couple of cans of catfood.
  As I was slowly walking around Target,I thought of the countless times Lori and I went to there together. We both loved the store and it was a trip always worth going on. Just walking around brings back those fond memories and how I wish she was here with me. Its so jarring to go inside alone. Most times when a person shops alone,you never really think about it,you just do it. But for me,its a source of pain and a reminder of the loss. But you have to push through it because Paladin needs to eat and so do you.
   After I made a lap around the pet section,I walked over to the DVD section where I saw a movie that I heard great things about from my fellow Jet Jaguar/Jaeger co-pilot,Chris Alexander,who also edits the only horror magazine worth talking about,Fangoria. (how is that for name dropping??)
  The movie is called "Frankenstein's Army" and its set in World War 2 when a lost Russian patrol stumbles across things almost as bad as the Nazis they are fighting. Fangoria said the movie was one of the best horror movies of the year and it was on sale,so I said "what the hell,splurge a little bit" and picked it up.


  I know,they do sort of look like the Koch Brothers,don't they? So that will join my small pile of DVDs that I have gathered to watch. I am now waiting for "Pacific Rim" to come out on BluRay next week.

I'm off tomorrow and I will be working in the backyard weeding and pruning. This is so far overdue and I am saying that despite the fact I was out there a month ago and completely weeded my yard. I am throwing away our old BBQ grill which is starting to rust out now. The weather has been  beyond nice and very unusually warm this year. But I have no real desire to grill at this point in life,maybe next year but for now...its now going into the trash. I know my neighbors are still grilling because I can smell it when I get home. It feel so much more like summer then Fall.
  


That is all I have for now....not very exciting I know but I am very happy you are still coming by and supporting my efforts here. I am glad I am back writing more now. It does a lot to release the stress.

And lastly....a quick note that the amazing Jane Monheit has a NEW album out now called "the heart of the matter". Jane is the best jazz vocalist in the world today in my opinion and you have if know if I am saying this,it has to be true,right? *LOL*



To find out more about Jane and where she is playing,please visit http://janemonheitonline.com/ for more info.


"Love and only love,will endure" - Neil Young


Shout outs

Amy and Michael,what a week! A birthday,anniversary and a trip to Haiti! Be safe and God bless you both!
Kerri and Andrew- Congrats on your award for the film that you worked so hard on.
Scorpion - You look ghastly in that Choke Sox cap! Here is hoping the new man cave becomes a real life bat cave!
Sydney in Ohio - Sending you warm thoughts and yes,I have noticed you have been here often and I thank you!
Jimmy- After thinking about it,my Black Crowes comment was too flip and I apologize.
Jane - Why no Michigan dates?
Darryl and Justin- Had a blast,lets do it again soon
Kayla and Jeni- Miracles DO happen!
Craig - you know I just now figured Boo was a girl!
Shea- Thanks for the band tip....see above for mine!
Kwame Kilpatrick - 28 years and I hope you do every single day! You let so many down here in Detroit.


If you are Twitter,add me @Jinzo_2400

8 Questions with.......writer Joan Lemon

Its 2:01 pm

   Welcome to the 2nd installment of "8 Questions With......" here on my new blogging home. After a sluggish start in trying to reboot my series,I think its finally picking up some steam. That makes me pretty happy since there are a lot of great people I like to ask a few questions of.
 
    I met writer Joan Lemon back in August of 2010. She and her very hard working husband live in Pennsylvania along with her family. When she asked me to read and review her first published book "Nightshade",I jumped at the chance. I am so glad I did as Joan's skills at weaving both horror and mystery along with the human condition made her book one to remember.
 Besides her love for all things horror,a good Michael Connelly or Stephen King novel,Joan is also a huge fan of black and white cats. You can see how nice of a person Joan is just by the last statement. But again,who isn't right?
That said,please take a few minutes to enjoy getting to know Joan. If you are interested in getting a signed copy of her book,you can contact her via her FB page listed at the bottom of the interview.
 

1. Where were you born and what was your childhood like?

JL: I was born in Antigo, Wisconsin – 1967. My father was in the US Air Force and stationed there. The family moved 18 months later to Glen Burney, MD, then to Glenn Burney, Maryland and then to Fort Meade, Maryland...Iowa Park, TX...Omaha, Nebraska...Lackland AFB, TX. Needless to say my childhood was spent moving from here to here and back again. My authoritarian father made my childhood very difficult. The only emotions I remember feeling were fear, shame, and loneliness. I can't explain the shame it just happened somehow. I remember feeling “judged” for everything I did, therefore becoming very secretive about what I liked, needed, or wanted. Those feelings continued into adulthood and never ended.

2. Who encouraged your love for reading and words?

JL:  Who did you read as a child/teen? I didn't read much as kid. For me, television was my habituation. Moving around as much as we did, It was the only constant in my life. But, where ever we went our television programs remained the same therefore provided a sense of security and feeling of “home.”

3. When did you know you wanted to write?

JL:  I didn't know I wanted to write until I entered college later in life when I was told by a professor that I exhibited a talent for it. However, I always had a love for movies, since we went every Saturday for over 4 years, and I began to invent stories in my head. The first story idea I had was when I was about 12 years old. I was floating on a raft in my mother's pool and imagined how scary it would be to fall asleep in the pool on that raft and wake up in the middle of the ocean. That idea became “Adrift” many years later. Since I was always criticized by my family for my “silly ideas” and “that's stupid” responses. I stopped sharing these thoughts and ideas and therefore was never encouraged.

• 4. What goes into your creating a subject matter to write about?
• 
  
• JL: Things just pop into my head, literally, and I go from there. The idea for “OOPS” hit me like bolt of lightening and I had the story written in a matter of hours. I wish that bolt would hit me more often.
  Do you look at today's world or within your own life? I look at the world and say “what if...?” and go from there. I have a plethora of Adolf Hitler scenarios that could sink a ship – hence, “OOPS.”
  
  5. How did writing your first book come about?
• 
  
• JL:  After I graduated from college I went through my meager collection of short stories and decided to write a few more in order to have a substantial collection to actually do something with.
• 
  
• 6. Where did you come up for the idea for "A Buxton Tale"?. 
• 
  
• JL: That was a very inspired story, by the way. This is a very interesting construct. One night I was watching a movie titled “Wide Sargasso Sea” and it wasn't until the very end of the movie that I realized who it was about. It was about the wife who was imprisoned by her husband, Edward Rochester in the Charlotte Bronte classic, Jane Eyre. Brilliant! That's what I remember thinking. The next movie I happened to see was The Shawshank Redemption and I remember having the epiphany about one of the characters. I wanted to give the heavyset man in the beginning who was killed a story, an explanation as to why he was there. I truly felt that the character was innocent and I wanted to prove it somehow.

7. Take us into a typical day of a writer,how does one go about in writing a book?


JL:I realize that I can't wait to be inspired. I have to think of it as a job or chore – I'm too lazy. I believe I would be much more prolific if I had the pressure of deadlines. 

8. What was the publishing aspect like as a new author? In other words,how did you get discovered?


JL:I was reunited with an old friend on Facebook. I found out she was in the publishing business and I told her about my collection of short stories and she said she could help me. I went the self-publishing route to avoid any form of rejection. 

9. What genre do you like the most to read/write about and why?


JL:  I love to read crime dramas and horror. And with the latter, the more shocking and gruesome, the better. I like to write horror mostly. I was influenced most by The Twilight Zone as a kid. I really love the “what if” premise.

10. And when you write another book and if you already doing so,can you give us a hint about the plot?


JL: I have a few more short stories in the works. One in particular is title “Apartment for Rent.” It's about a very vain, yet, solitary man who is cursed by his landlord and slowly turns into something grotesque. I need someone to tell me to “hurry up” so that I can finish it soon. I need that fear and pressure.




  To learn more about Joan and her current book,"Nightshade"along with keeping updated on her new project,you can find her here:
https://www.facebook.com/lemonstine


I like to thank Joan again for taking the time to answer my questions.
Next time we'll be visiting with Carl Henry,a local Detroit music legend who has been playing the blues and holds nothing back when he is playing or answering 8 Questions! Thanks for reading! Comments and feedback are always welcome!

Welcome everyone!

Its 1:29 pm

 The folks who got invited to the Inner Circle yesterday....this is why you are here. I merely wanted to share my blog with you and hopefully stimulate some thought,comedy,musings and whoever knows.
I pretty much just post updates when my new blog entry is posted but have and will encourage you to post anything in the FB group that you want to promote,like a blog,crusade,live gig,political opinion,whatever.
I know I am taking a chance on blindly inviting so many people all of a sudden but since we're all pals,its not that big of a risk now,is it?
  Its a cloudy day here in SE Michigan and its a bit chilly. How we went from having 15 days in March of 80+ degree days to snowflakes in April is pure Michigan. Last week was shorts and flip flops and this morning was coats and caps. I wouldn't trade it for anything...
 
   I was on the Yahoo sports pages last night when I stumbled across the story of a high school volleyball coach who was fired by a private Christian school for getting pregnant out of wedlock. Seems she violated the code of conduct that she signed in a contract to not do such a thing.
  Looking at the quick hook that the school made,you wonder why more universities (hello Penn State,Indiana,the whole SEC -except Vanderbilt) and high schools don't follow the same course with their programs. I find it sort of sad that a high school has more moral courage to actually fire a coach who broke her contract and is catching hell for it yet look over at Arkansas and all the folks clamoring for the school NOT to fire Bobby Petrino. Look at how long it took Indiana to summon enough courage to fire Bobby Knight and surely we all know about Penn State's mess.
  It used to be a contract meant something in America,it was a bond of honor. You signed your name on a contract,you did you best to fulfill it,not break it on a whim. The coach in Texas,Cathy Samford,knew what she was signing when she dotted her name on the contract. The school has every right to ask and impose a moral code for its teachers and if Samford felt she couldn't abide by this,she should have walked away.
But far too many schools are turning their heads away along as their teams WIN,baby,win. Winning overcomes many,many sins and far too many coaches get away with having a very questionable moral center.
   Coaches forget they are TEACHERS first,they are there to help young people learn about life,be it part as a team,to win with grace,to accept losing knowing there will be a next time. And this means leading by example,which is entirely reasonable for any school,public or private,to ask of its teaching staff. Growing up,I had many teachers who had honor and morals who lived their lives like a open book. A lot of what I learned as a person I learned from Bob Beck,a history teacher as well as our high school baseball coach.
I challenge anyone who ever was taught or played for Coach Beck to say he played favorites or ignored bad behavior by players just as long as the team won. He insisted that his players dressed neatly and professionally and to conduct themselves as gentlemen. Which is why you often saw players and other students often seeking him our guidance and advise. It would hard to be taken seriously if he ran a program like many schools run,sloppy and unchecked.
 
Whatever happened to Mary Chapin Carpenter?




   Look at these two wonderful two cats....this is Tweek and Boomer Kitty. They share a nice home with my dear friend Kerri and her husband Andrew. But something  has happened that must be addressed,it seems like Kerri and Andrew had stepped out and then came home to find a shredded teabag on the ground. Now at first glance,it may seem these two perfect cats may have done such a dastardly thing but I am thinking all the facts are not known....like the fact that Andrew is English! And we all know how the Brits are when it comes to tea!! I daresay,if you threw a teabag,a TARDIS or a soccer ball on the field and told a Englsihman  he could only have one item,he would always rush to the teabag.
  I am thinking these cats are being framed by this Moriarty is disguise!!!  As president of the Black and White Cat Society,we want justice! Black and white cats are angels on earth and never do anything bad...especially shred a teabag or cough up a furball on the carpet.....

Lastly,I like to direct everyone to a nice interview that Tom Lawson did with actress Monique Parent.
I thought it was a nice interview and think you will like it,especially if you are a horror/thriller movie fan like I am.
You can read this interview by clicking on this link here.


Alright,that is all I have for now.......hope you enjoyed the read and feel free to drop a comment or two.

Randomness Friday

Its 1:54 pm

   Its Friday once again. Another week in the books. Before I head out to do a gang of errands,I wanted to post something. I like to thank those who have taken the time to come by and read this. When I write my blog,it provides me a escape from thinking about our situation,I may write about what whats going on but its more of a informing then a sit and worry type of feeling. And I know slowly but surely I'll get more and more of you who have followed this blog on FB to come here. Just takes patience.
   Yesterday I headed down to our city hall to register as an Election Poll Worker for the Michigan Primary on 28 Feb. We have to attend two classes and then we work our assigned voting area. I did this once before with my mother when I was 18,you help set up the stations,give out and receive ballots and enter them in the ballot box. Sometimes our voting district is busy,Lori and I have seen lines out the door and other times,you are the only one voting,depends on the issue. I expect a pretty good turnout for the primary as Mittens and Newt will be fighting to see which one gets their ass kicked by Obama come November.
  Also signed up for a 8 week CERT program starting in March. CERT or Community Emergency Response Team is designed to provide additional emergency responders  in case of a major event like a tornado or fire.So  while I was the police station filling out the paperwork,I asked about Poncho the police dog who I met when I worked overnights at the hotel. Seems like Poncho is going to be retired in a month. He was doing some bite work on his training day when his back legs gave out. Since he is almost 11 years old,his time to retire has come. I plan on attending the ceremony because I really love that dog,he was just a amazing cop.
 His partner Brian would eat lunch,check his email or just chill with me at the desk. Poncho used to jump on the desk as well and let me pet him and I asked permission EVERY time,even after Brian said I didn't have to. But I never looked at Poncho as a police dog but as a police officer and I respected him for that.
  I had to call for assistance 3 times when I worked there and two of the times,it was Brian and Poncho who got the call. Watching a 6'3,240 pound cop with a German Shepherd stroll in always commanded a lot of attention,even when the party who I had called on was loud and drunk. They always quieted down and left meekly. I know my wife was very thankful as she hated me working alone at the hotel. I told her I never was worried the days I knew Brian and Poncho were out covering my six. And now Poncho is going to get to live the rest of his days in Brian's home in peace. Couldn't have wished for a better ending for Poncho.
  Stumbled across a new show on NBC which I had heard about but never seen until I watched it On Demand. The show is called "Grimm" and I have to say,I'm pretty hooked by it. The premise,a cop discovers that the characters in the Brothers Grimm fairy tales are real and living among us humans,maybe isn't the most original idea but the stories and the casting (for the most part) really push the show forward. It has sort of a "Angel" feel to it which isn't too surprising since one of the creators is David Greenwalt,who produced "Angel" and also "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".
  While the early shows have sort of had a "Monster of the Week" feel to them and the main character,Nick Burkholdt,trying to find a way to deal with them,some good long term plot lines are also developing to keep the viewer guessing on who is on Nick's side and who isn't. The lead actor,David Giuntoli,has Christopher Reeve/Brandon Routh looks to him and his embracing his role really enhances the show. His partner Hank,played by Russell Hornsby,doesn't know his partner has suddenly become much more then meets the eye. There is even a friendly ally who really is a wolf in people's clothing. It adds up for a great ride and I'm looking forward to seeing where it takes us.
  NBC has managed to do a rare thing and that is to okay a full 22 episode run,it seems like just about every cool show they have put out (hello,The Cape) has gotten a quick hook. Makes it sorta of hard to actually invest any time in watching a new show on the network. But they still seem to find a way to push those horrible Housewives shows and the ultra-creepy child molesting looking Andy Cohen on Bravo...
 Okay,that is all I got for this entry....below is the Grimm preview. The show airs on Friday nights at 9 pm on NBC.

This is Poncho's bio on the CPD's page.
   http://www.cantonpublicsafety.org/police_services/poncho_bio.html




See you tomorrow

3 Days

Its 1:22 pm

   Happy Monday to everyone.

Friday marked the end of our 28 days of radiation treatments. And to celebrate this great event,President Obama decided to pay Ann Arbor a visit. Now normally a president visit can be a real nightmare,what with roads and buildings blocked off from the public while Secret Service cordons off the area.
  Knowing this and also knowing that it was our last day,I called him up at the White House and asked him if he could arrive in Ann Arbor Thursday instead of Friday. He instantly agreed and sure enough,Air Force One landed in the metro area Thursday evening and the motorcade took the President into town.
 So waking and getting to the U of Michigan was easy as pie. And 45 minutes later Lori was done. They even gave her a little certificate to show she had finished the cycle.
 But our day wasn't over yet,we had to kill some time because we still had to see Dr. Johnston and do some lab work as well.
  We started heading to Briarwood Mall to get some breakfast but we saw a Denny's instead. We had a BOGO coupon so it made sense to eat there. Now I have only eaten at Denny's 3 times since I have moved to Michigan. Used to like it quite a bit in California but wow,has it changed and not for the good. I mean,have you seen how expensive that place has become??? Whatever happened to the 2.99 Grand Slam? Denny's used to THE place for a great breakfast but the one we went to in Ann Arbor was nearly empty other then us and a woman who had spent 4 hours drinking coffee.  We finished up breakfast and headed to the huge Barnes and Noble bookstore we had passed before seeing Denny's.
  This was our first visit to a big bookstore since Border's had closed it doors last year. Not that I need any books,I still have tons to catch up on. And despite the self-imposed Dollar Tree ban,I managed to find two more books to add to my backlog. But I am making progress,I have read 7 books so far this year and now am tackling "The Book on Bush" which should be mandatory reading by every American.
 I settled for catching up on the latest Fangoria which had Nicholas Cage on the cover. Editor and fellow Jet Jaguar fan Chris Alexander has really worked wonders with the magazine since taking over as editor. Its fresh,exciting and has some great interviews with both today's newest horror stars and director while remembering the past greats as well. The interview with the lovely Barbara Crampton from perhaps one of the 5 best horror films ever,"Re-Animator",was a great read and very insightful.
  I showed Lori a couple of pictures from a upcoming SyFy Saturday Night movie called "Two-Headed Shark Attack" which brought laughter as we love watching these cheap ass movies shot on whatever change the director has in his pants pockets.
 So we had to leave and head back to the Cancer Center for labs and the doctor visit. We did labs and then moved upstairs to semi-crowded waiting room. We were about 25 minutes early but we heard Lori's name being called. She went in and I waited until the exam was over and then I would get called back for the consult. Except for two things.....one,Dr. Johnston wasn't there,a sudden call had taken out of the office and even if she had been there,since it was Lori's last day of treatment,she was still far too sore to be examined properly. So they have pushed back her follow-up appointment until the middle of February. That is alright with us...the lab results were very encouraging as her CA-125 results are 9.7 ( 0-3 is a safe range).
  That said,we headed on home where we rested and did some light housework.
Saturday was a beautiful cold day. Lori said she felt so much better then usual,that will happen when you are finished with radiation! Had a light home cooked breakfast and then went grocery shopping. The store we shop at was pretty busy as they had a massive sale going on. Between our list and the crowded store,we shopped for 2 hours before finally checking out.
  After a quick pit-stop,we headed back out to Northville. We are on the hunt to replace a comfy chair that has seen better days. We are shopping the consignment stores and Northville has a very good store we like to shop at. The staff isn't the most friendly but the merchindise is good and the prices fair. The little shop was busy and for a split second we thought we might have found a replacement chair for 65.00 but upon a closer look,it just didn't seem to fit out needs. But we did find a new Cat's Meow Village piece that we snapped up before heading out.
  Lori still felt good so we decided to head to Novi and look at the chairs at Art Van,Michigan best furniture store. It has been a long time since we have been to Novi and we always use Novi Road.. Its a nice 5 lane road until you cross 10 Mile and Novi when it goes back to a 2 lane road for 2 miles before expanding again. Why is this worth mentioning? Because Novi is the home of the biggest shopping center in Wayne County,12 Oaks Mall. And traffic is a bear,no matter what time of the year it is. The 2 lane road creates a real bottle neck and a lot of headaches.
  But a funny thing happened as we headed to Novi,the road had been fixed! Its now a full 5 lane road with a overpass over the train tracks. The traffic was free and easy as we cruised through downtown and to the Art Van store.
   The Fountain Walk side of 12 Oaks Mall was again busy,it seemed like Christmas with the way everyone was out and shopping.
  We spent 35 minutes looking at the many different chairs at Art Van. While we couldn't get the chair we really wanted,we have decided that we continue to look but try and save for the chair that best fits our living room. We have learned that patience is the best way to go when buying things like furniture and other household items. Just have to play it smart and save for what you want.
  By now Lori was getting tired (this happens when you undergo both chemo and radiation is a short cycle) and we pointed the Rodger Young towards home.
  We had a nice dinner and turned in early.
Sunday saw us attend Mass and stay close to home as Lori slept while I clipped coupons and cleaned the basement. Went for a nice brisk walk and then our neighbor came by and asked how we were doing. We chatted for a while and then had dinner. Our cable box had went on the fritz Saturday night so we fired up the Blu-Ray player and watched the first season of Mary Tyler Moore on DVD. I had never really watched this show so it was pretty new to me and I thought it was pretty cute. Got to love whole season DVDs sets!
And so that was our last 3 days......don't know who will read this but if you did and made it this far,"thank you!"